Top of SW Thirty-Seventh Avenue

Driving through the Hayhurst Neighborhood yesterday, this interesting fence caught my eye because it was made of pipes.I got out of the car for a closer look.It was painted to match the house. Each fence post was topped with a special stone.There was a bit of a western theme in the front yard.A great thing about this unusual fence is that it got me out of the car. Otherwise, I would not have noticed the blue gate across the street.A Portland Water Bureau facility!The sunshine on the landscaped hill was inviting, so I hiked in to take a look.Walking around, I discovered additional water tanks that were not visible from the street. They were numbered 2, 3, 4, and 5. Where was number 1? My internet research did not answer this question, but if you zoom in on this aerial view of the “tank garden” you can see a space where maybe it used to be: google map. According to my research, the four mostly-underground tanks combined store nearly five million gallons of water, this facility sits on 5.74 acres of land, and its service area has 3,650 service connections. (I submitted a records request for photos of the construction and dedication of this facility to the City Auditor’s Office, and will share them here later if possible.) As is the Bureau’s custom, the tanks were painted green with %100 recycled MetroPaint. The looming water tanks dwarfed the park-like open space around them.This picture with the little outbuilding gives an idea of the scale of these massive containers.The numbers on the sides made them look like battleships that had run aground.The sign warned that an alarm will go off when the tank is entered and exited. I wasn’t planning to dive in, but good to know.There were nice views of nearby valleys and hills.One last look before I left.As I walked back to the street I saw this very cool mid-century home.The walkway was lined with these simple angled lights. Maybe I will come back some time to see how they look at night.I looked back at the water facility where two boys were running up and down a steep hill as fast as they could.It looks like this place is a great recreational resource for the neighborhood. (Brace yourself. You know I’m going to say it.) Tanks, Portland Water Bureau.

Thanks, Katy! According to Portland maps the house was built in 1948. Whenever I see high windows like that, I remember a neighbor in Madison saying this was nice because you can put furniture against the walls.